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Reunion Giving Toolkit

Quick Links

• Reunion Gift Campaign Committee Handbook (PDF)
• Volunteer Position Recruitment
• Reunion gift crediting guidelines
• Reunion Giving at MIT
• Tech Reunions
• Contact your reunion giving officer

About The Reunion Gift Campaign

The Reunion Gift Campaign goal is twofold: to increase class participation, and to encourage leadership giving. Reunion giving is promoted to the entire class population through a variety of marketing outreach efforts, including direct mail, email, personal solicitations, and the Tech Callers (paid student callers.) The Reunion Gift Committee also focuses on generating gift upgrades and encouraging fellow classmates to consider a leadership-level gift or pledge to commemorate the reunion. During a reunion year many classmates may also contribute to the class project. View the historical records of class participation to get a sense of prior successful campaigns.

MIT Staff Support

Each class is assigned to an Alumni Association staff member who serves as a liason from the recruitment process through the end of the campaign. The staff representative assists in setting goals, conducts training, and provides materials to solicit classmates. He/she also assists with day-to-day campaign management, participates in committee conference calls, and provices administrative support to the committee so that volunteer efforts are focused on building participation and meeting campaign goals.

Volunteer Position Recruitment

The Reunion Gift Committee Chair

At least 14 to 16 months prior, the class president consults with Alumni Association staff to recruit a gift chair or co-chairs. The chair or co-chairs (maximum of two), with support from a member of the Alumni Association staff, recruits the committee, typically through letters and phone calls. Following the recruitment, the chair works with the committee and the staff liaison to determine campaign goals and strategies. The chair also makes personal solicitations, writing letters, and working with the committee and staff to ensure that the campaign remains vital and maintains its momentum. Customarily, the chair is asked to represent his/her class by announcing the campaign results during Tech Reunions in June.

Reunion Gift Committee Members

The committee members help to establish strategies and timelines for the solicitation of their classmates. Typical strategies include direct mail campaigns and peer-to-peer solicitations, often via telephone. Members are asked to participate in committee meetings or conference calls, complete a classmate screening, and to personally soliciting 8-12 classmates. All members of the reunion gift committee are expected to make a gift.

For the full information for committee members, please download the Reunion Gift Campaign Committee Handbook.

Reunion Gift Committee Calendar (may vary by class)